Happy weekend fellow arcaders and gamers. Let’s dive into some extra news I’ve come across while scouring the interwebs:

Ted Dabney: An Oral History

Recall that a short time ago, Atari co-founder Ted Dabney passed away. He was instrumental in the creation of titles such as Computer Space and PONG and was also a major player at arcade manufacturer Meadows after he was forced out at Atari. If you’ve wanted to hear his side of the story from the early days of arcade gaming then here is an oral history from the man himself, going for almost two hours. RIP Ted:

New Code For The Hobbit Pinball

If you are the owner of Jersey Jack Pinball’s The Hobbit then be aware that new code is one it’s way. Previous code builds have certainly improved on the game, including the addition of awesome effects like the playfield being ‘set on fire’. This latest code makes changes/improvements to the game modes, scoring, adding new awards, new lighting effects, lighting to make clearer where and where not you’re supposed to shoot, improvements to clips from the films, new Easter Eggs and so on. If you missed the v3.00 reveal stream last night then you are in luck as JJP has the footage archived for us to enjoy here (the video also explains the basic gameplay around 15 min in):

Neo Geo MVS LED Mod Finally Arrives

A number of individuals in recent years have talked about developing a replacement LED solution for NEO GEO MVS marquees but until this year, no one had delivered on such a project. For why this isn’t a simple solution, MVS cabinets used Electro-Luminescent paper (or EL paper) to drive the lighting behind the mini-marquee images; when a user would push the Select Game button, it would switch the game as well as the light behind the marquee to the appropriate game. EL Paper was cool at the time but doesn’t exactly last very long before fading out like one of those glow-sticks you get at amusement parks.

The NEO GEO MVS Mini Marquee LED mod in action

Fortunately an enthusiast by the name of Lee Smith has quietly developed his own solution and it is something I just heard about this week. I placed an order for one as I have a 4-slot upright that has been dark since I got my hands on it years ago. Above is a picture of the kit installed and by that it looks brilliant; below is an hour long installation video. If you’re interested in ordering one for your MVS, click here.

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection For Nintendo Switch

Every modern console has had their share of arcade classics made available digitally but Nintendo has been on quite a roll in bringing such games to their current Switch platform. This focus hasn’t been exclusive to Nintendo however with SNK really leading the way in release NeoGeo MVS classics to the platform since it first landed. Now they are celebrating 40 years in business with a collection of arcade classics including Ikari Warriors, P.O.W., Psycho Soldier, Vanguard and more. With thirteen games, it’s not a huge collection by any means but still should please SNK fans. The collection will launch on November 13th.

It is also worth noting that Taito has taken a strong interest in the Switch, despite being very much a shell of what they used to be. They have Darius Cozmic Collection and Ninja Warriors on the way among other potential classic arcade releases. Namco also released the Namco Museum to the platform last year and so on.

The Nintendo Cabinet Made Out Of Legos

15,000 Legos were used in the creation of this piece…’nuff said:

A 360°/VR Tour Of The NorthWest Pinball And Arcade Show

Thanks to Keith B. for sharing this on our Facebook group. I mentioned some of the arcade gaming expo/collectors events in a post yesterday and that did bring to light that we’ve missed mentioning a few. I’m certainly happy to find out about as many as I possibly can for the next year – that would certainly help for a particular section in the upcoming Almanac 😉

This weekend brought to you by: Arcade Themed Rock Concert Band Posters:

One Comment »

I really like the idea on how the led is implemented. One of the forums I used to browse had few members who tried using those ultra wide lcd’s because it they fit the dimensionstand fit with the authentic look for mame, but they were overly pricy and rarely manufactured, making the project rather unfeasable.
I personally would have let there be a market for this area exist because it not only applies with hobbiests, but the amusement industry as well. Go to any casino out there and you’ll notice just how overboard IGS goes with their slot machines, there’s animated graphics on everything and arcades could take a clue on including this, including animated marquees that interact.